VAR Denies Lookman as Atalanta Edge Marseille Late

Ademola Lookman was denied his first Champions League goal of the season by VAR, but Atalanta still managed a dramatic 1-0 victory over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Marseille on Wednesday night.

The Nigerian forward thought he had opened the scoring in the 69th minute after Raoul Bellanova’s low cross found him unmarked to tap into an empty net. However, VAR intervened, ruling that Lookman was offside in the build-up.

Despite another lively performance, Lookman’s night ended in frustration as he was replaced by Ivan Juric in the 75th minute. Atalanta kept pushing and were finally rewarded when substitute Lazar Samardzic struck in the 89th minute to seal all three points for the Italian side.

The match featured two of Africa’s finest attackers, Lookman and Aubameyang, in a tense battle that offered few clear chances.

Both players will renew their rivalry next week when Nigeria face Gabon in the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff in Morocco, where the Super Eagles will be hoping for a crucial win on the road to qualification.